SS613 - Welcome to Wastelands

SS613 - Welcome to Wastelands

The highway 613 connecting Brindisi to Lecce,  through villages that are located in an area between the industrial area of ​​Brindisi (including among others the petrochemical complex, Edipower, pharmaceutical SANOFI AVENTIS, sugar factory S.F.I.R., the airport and the harbour)t and the coal’s thermal power plant Enel Federico II. With an area of ​​270 hectares,  it is the second largest power plant in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Coal moves through one of the longest conveyor belts in Europe. 13 km that connect the central to the port of Brindisi,  able to transfer to the central 2, 000 tons of coal per hour. The construction of the canal passing through the conveyor belt was performed,  for most of the route, 15 meters underground,  piercing the ground water,  causing the drying up of farmland and water pollution. Today,  whole families of farmers must every day supply of drinking water to about 5 km away. In 2007 it was imposed a ban on cultivation of an area of four acres adjacent to the central. In 2011 the area of Micorosa was banned,  fifty acres of "regional protected area" in which there were found underground tons of waste., In Brindisi infants with birth defects are 18% higher than the European average,  those with cardiovascular malformations are over 68% more. Scientists at the National Research Council found that there is a correlation between neonatal malformations and a pollutant substance produced by industrial activity. Also alarming is the situation in Torchiarolo. Here the level of PM10 is the highest of all the region.

by Karl Mancini

The highway 613 connecting Brindisi to Lecce,  through villages that are located in an area between the industrial area of ​​Brindisi (including among others the petrochemical complex, Edipower, pharmaceutical SANOFI AVENTIS, sugar factory S.F.I.R., the airport and the harbour)t and the coal’s thermal power plant Enel Federico II. With an area of ​​270 hectares,  it is the second largest power plant in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Coal moves through one of the longest conveyor belts in Europe. 13 km that connect the central to the port of Brindisi,  able to transfer to the central 2, 000 tons of coal per hour. The construction of the canal passing through the conveyor belt was performed,  for most of the route, 15 meters underground,  piercing the ground water,  causing the drying up of farmland and water pollution. Today,  whole families of farmers must every day supply of drinking water to about 5 km away. In 2007 it was imposed a ban on cultivation of an area of four acres adjacent to the central. In 2011 the area of Micorosa was banned,  fifty acres of "regional protected area" in which there were found underground tons of waste., In Brindisi infants with birth defects are 18% higher than the European average,  those with cardiovascular malformations are over 68% more. Scientists at the National Research Council found that there is a correlation between neonatal malformations and a pollutant substance produced by industrial activity. Also alarming is the situation in Torchiarolo. Here the level of PM10 is the highest of all the region.

Micorosa (Brindisi). A huge unauthorized landfill of industrial waste. It is located at the south of the petrochemical industry site, inside the Regional Natural Park "Saline Punta della Contessa". This area is 50 hectares long and between 1962 and 1980 was used for disposal waste’s of petrochemical. Today,in this area there is a very high concentration of carcinogenic elements, some of which exceed for millions of times the limit of the law (vinyl chloride, mercury etc) Two young boys inside the Municipal Cemetery of Torchiarolo (Brindisi). Every year in this village increase the cancer mortality . Every family lost relatives for this reasons. The level of PM10 is the highest in the Apulia region and one of the highest in entire Europe Torchiarolo (Brindisi). Empty graves without name in the municipal cemetery. Every year in this village increase the cancer mortality . Every family lost relatives for this reasons. The level of PM10 is the highest in the Apulia region and one of the highest in entire Europe Cerano (Brindisi). In this area is visible the section in front of the sea of the Federico II central. Here the marine ecosystem is at risk because of the high temperatures. There were caught many fish with strange shapes Containers carried on a cargo train direct to the complex of EDIPower in the industrial area of Brindisi Teodora, 29 is from Brindisi. She’s portraited in Lido Apollinare. Her grandparents used to come here in summer time. This place was in the 30’s and 40’s of the 900 the beach of the rich bourgeoisie of Brindisi. Today this area, located in the city center, it’s abandoned cause and new docks are building, very close to Pigonati channel’s, according to the draft prepared by the port authority of Brindisi. She low lives not far from here A plane flies on the coal’s conveyor belt of Centrale Federico II that transport coal from the industry to the harbour’s dock. The airport of Brindisi was built near the industrial zone in the citycenter Torchiarolo (Brindisi). A shadow of a man in the center of the village. Every year in this village increase the cancer mortality . Every family lost relatives for this reasons. The level of PM10 is the highest in the Apulia region and one of the highest in entire Europe Brindisi. the Complex Edipower is located east of downtown. Costa Morena’s docks in which ferries and petrol tankers attrack are located on the west part. frequently fishermen come in this abandoned area to fish mussels Brindisi. Abandoned area near the complex Edipower Farmers of Cerano area are forced by industrial settlement to move themselves until the neighboring village of Tuturano to stock water. The groundwater has been polluted by the excavations for the underground passage of the conveyor belt of coal of Central Federico II Micorosa (Brindisi). Vincenzo, from Brindisi. “i’m 41 years old and i’m a dead man walking” Nocturne view of Enel Central Federico II. It is a thermoelectric power with coal. With an area of 270 hectares it is the second largest thermal power plant in Italy and one of the largest in Europe Torchiarolo (Brindisi). Night view of some religious monuments in Torchiarolo. In this village the level of PM10 is the highest in Apulia and one of highest in entire Europe Micorosa (Brindisi). A huge unauthorized landfill of industrial waste. It is located at the south of the petrochemical industry site, inside the Regional Natural Park "Saline Punta della Contessa". This area is 50 hectares long and between 1962 and 1980 was used for disposal waste’s of petrochemical. Today,in this area there is a very high concentration of carcinogenic elements, some of which exceed for millions of times the limit of the law (vinyl chloride, mercury etc) Micorosa (Brindisi). A huge unauthorized landfill of industrial waste. It is located at the south of the petrochemical industry site, inside the Regional Natural Park "Saline Punta della Contessa". This area is 50 hectares long and between 1962 and 1980 was used for disposal waste’s of petrochemical. Today,in this area there is a very high concentration of carcinogenic elements, some of which exceed for millions of times the limit of the law (vinyl chloride, mercury etc) Brindisi’s industrial area. Pharmaceutical dump in open air Stefano, 39 years old. He is a member of NO AL CARBONE. Since 2009 NAC’s group is fighting to close all activities higly polluting near Brindisi Antonio Perrino‘s Hospital in Brindisi. Here are recovered many cases under 50 years old affected by cancer Portrait of Alessandra Uggelli. Her house is just 500 meters far from the industrial site of Federico II. During the day air is often unbreathable, she has no drinkable water and she has to go in a village far 5 kmeters from her house to take water to wash and cook. she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer Horses in the campaigns in the area near to Brindisi ‘s Petrochemical industry site Photographic documents attesting the presence of coal for years outside the two towers of the central federico II before the maintenance work made on September,2014 Sunset on Micorosa (Brindisi). A huge unauthorized landfill of industrial waste. It is located at the south of the petrochemical industry site, inside the Regional Natural Park "Saline Punta della Contessa". This area is 50 hectares long and between 1962 and 1980 was used for disposal waste’s of petrochemical. Today,in this area there is a very high concentration of carcinogenic elements, some of which exceed for millions of times the limit of the law (Cloruro di vinile, mercurio etc) Ivana, portraitred during a torchlight procession organized by various environmental groups in memory of a worker who is dead in Ilva industry (Taranto). she is a member of NO AL CARBONE. Since 2009 NAC’s group is fighting to close all activities higly polluting near Brindisi Taranto. Young man during the torchlight procession organized by various environmental groups in memory of a worker who died in Taranto's ILVA industry. On his tshirt is written “who is rebel cannot die” A ferris wheel during a sunset in the Salento’s seafroant The blaze of the torches of the Petrochemical Plant in Brindisi are continuous for almost two mounths despite the silence of the institutions Cerano (Brindisi). plots dry and completely unuseful for agriculture near the Central Federico II Cerano (Brindisi) Dried artichokes in one of the dry and completely unuseful fields for agriculture near the Central Federico II. Before the construction of the central, the artichokes in the area were famous for their kindness and softness and were exported throughout Italy Wind turbines in the countryside of Surbo. The winds are a major cause of the "paradox of Lecce." It means the presence of polluted particles released by Cerano and ILVA’s plants up to 160 km away. Cause of diseases in the zone of Lecce Antonio, 89 years old. farmer. In the zone at a distance of 20 km from the Federico II central, the land was declared uncultivable and often the owners have had to lose their jobs Poles inserted into the ground by a scientific commission to measure the levels of pollutants in the Regional Natural Park "Saline Punta della Contessa" adjacent to the unauthorized landfill of industrial waste of Micorosa. It is located at the south of the petrochemical industry site in Brindisi. Today,in this area there is a very high concentration of carcinogenic elements, some of which exceed for millions of times the limit of the law (vinyl chloride, mercury etc)